CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

General Election Costs 2005–06

David Lammy: Subject to parliamentary approval, the Department for Constitutional Affairs Departmental expenditure limit (DEL) will be increased by £71,000,000. This will be in addition to the DEL limit due to be published in the main estimate for 2005–06.
	The change in the resource element of the Department for Constitutional Affairs DEL follows HM Treasury approval to transfer £71,000,000 from the non-voted consolidated fund in relation to general election costs.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Football Betting

Tessa Jowell: The Government are aware of the recent European Court of Justice rulings concerning sport and the use of database rights. I have recently met representatives of the football sector, who have concerns about how these rulings affect them.
	In light of the on-going domestic court case, currently before the Court of Appeal, it would be inappropriate for me to pass comment on the details of any case.
	This Government take the integrity of sport very seriously. I am aware that in its present data licensing arrangements with betting operators, the football authorities include a code of practice covering integrity issues. I am also aware that in some cases these licensing arrangements have now come to an end, and not been renewed. The vast majority of betting on sport in this country is conducted lawfully. Betting operators, sporting organisations and the Government have worked together in the past to safeguard the integrity of British sport. I expect all parties to continue to do so in the future.
	The Gambling Bill will provide substantial new powers and protections to help achieve this. Indeed, one of the Gambling Commission's licensing objectives is to ensure that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way. The commission will have powers to issue codes of practice to betting operators. The Bill also makes it an express condition of all operating licences that operators comply with any codes concerning social responsibility. This is in addition to the commission's powers to investigate suspicious betting patterns, and void unfair bets or bring about prosecutions.
	We will monitor the situation carefully, and officials in my Department will continue to discuss this issue with football and betting operators. We will also continue to explore the wider impact on sport of the EC database directive with Patent Office colleagues.

DEFENCE

Queen Victoria School

Ivor Caplin: Hon. Members will wish to be aware that with effect from 1 April 2005, the Queen Victoria School (QVS), Dunblane, Perthshire, will cease to hold agency status.
	QVS is presently the smallest of the Ministry of Defence agencies with a budget of less than £5 million per annum, compared to an average of £473 million. Following a recent review it has been decided that the additional overheads relating to agency status are no longer proportionate to the size of the school.
	The removal of agency status will not affect the role or outputs of the school and the headmaster will remain fully accountable for the school's performance. In terms of governance the school will have an improved reporting regime within the Adjutant General Command, while maintaining a link with the Directorate of Educational and Training Services (Army) who has an interest in wider educational matters and in promoting the benefits of the QVS to service families. The school will continue to publish an annual report and, as now, academic results will be published in the Scottish league tables.

Otterburn Accidents

Ivor Caplin: On 25 January 2005, Official Report, column 241W in response to the question raised by the hon. Member for Christchurch (Mr. Chope) about accidents at the army training ground at Otterburn, I stated that six people had been injured as a result of accidents at the Otterburn military training area. It has since come to light that this figure was incorrect. This was brought to my attention when a branch of the Department not previously known to hold information relating to this matter came forward.
	The answer should have stated that 35 people have been injured as a result of accidents during exercises at Otterburn since 1 January 2000.
	I apologise to the House for this error.

Oman

Adam Ingram: The Royal Army of Oman (RAO) purchased Challenger 2 main battle tanks (MBT) from the UK and is the only operator of this tank other than the UK. They currently use Discarding Sabot/Training (DS/T) ammunition as their training round but production of the DS/T round (L20 shot and L5 charge) has now ceased. RAO have purchased a new training round (CHARM 3 training round (C3TR)) but their tanks require an upgrade to allow these new rounds to be fired. This will take a minimum of 12 months from contract signature. During this period, their current stocks of the DS/T round will be exhausted and unless additional DS/T rounds are made available their tank crews will be unable to train. This will adversely affect the proficiency of the crews and the operational readiness of the Royal Army of Oman.
	DS/T ammunition is no longer produced and is no longer used by the British Army. All remaining stocks were gifted to Jordan under the Al-Hussein arrangement under the auspices of a departmental minute laid before the House of Commons in July 2004. It is proposed to divert 3,000 rounds of DS/T ammunition from this Jordanian consignment (22,874 L5 charges and 26,044 L20 shot), due to be shipped in May 2005. and gift them to Oman in order to alleviate the training shortfall. This will have negligible effect on Jordan.
	This proposal will have no cost for the UK. Oman will meet all transport and handling costs.

Disposal Services Agency

Adam Ingram: Key targets have been set for the chief executive of the Disposal Services Agency (DSA) for financial year 2005–06. The targets are as follows:
	Key Target—1
	To achieve a disposal sales income of £50 million from sales of surplus Government-owned equipment and repayment business within an agency net operating cost of £7.5 million.
	Key Target—2
	To meet the key performance standards required under the Internal Business Agreements (IBA) with MOD customers including the Customer Supplier Agreement (CSA) with the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO).
	Key Target—3
	To ensure that the agency is at the standard or above the public sector benchmarking report for overall customer satisfaction. The agency should maintain the level of current customer satisfaction (89 per cent.) and improve to 19 per cent. the number of very satisfied customers.
	Key Target—4
	To develop a benchmark to enable the agency to both measure and exceed HMG's target (currently 25 percentage by volume) for environmental re-use and recovery for all MOD material through the DSA.
	Key Target—5
	To secure £370,000 sales per person employed for commercial sales activities.

HEALTH

Trade Union Recognition

Stephen Ladyman: The following organisations are recognised for collective bargaining purposes by the Department of Health and the NHS.
	British Medical Association (BMA)
	British Dental Association (BDA)
	UNISON
	The Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
	The Royal College of Midwives (RCM)
	Amicus including MSF, AEEU and EESA
	GMB
	The Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU)
	The Union of Shop, Allied and Distributive Workers (USDAW)
	The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP)
	The Community and District Nursing Association (CDNA)
	The Society of Radiographers (SoR)
	The Federation of Clinical Scientists (FCS)
	The British Association of Occupational Therapists (BAOT)
	The Union of Construction Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT)
	The British Orthoptic Society (BOS)
	The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists (SoCP)
	The British Dietetic Association (BDA)
	The following organisations are recognised for collective bargaining purposes with its own staff by the Department of Health.
	Public and Commercial Services Union
	Prospect
	First Division Association

NHS Pay Bill Costs

Stephen Ladyman: Total expenditure on pay bill costs, whole time equivalent staff numbers and average pay bill costs for hospital doctors, general practitioners, all doctors and qualified nurses for 2003–04 are given in the table.
	
		
			  Total pay billExpenditure2003–04£ million Staff numbersWhole timeequivalents Average paybill costs£ 000s 
		
		
			 Hospital doctors 6,142 72,260 85 
			 General practitioners 2,200 29,777 74 
			 All doctors 8,342 102,037 82 
			 Qualified nurses 8,677 291,925 30

NORTHERN IRELAND

Northern Ireland Prison Service Corporate and Business Plan 2005–08

Ian Pearson: I have placed copies of the Northern Ireland Prison Service's corporate and business plan for 2005–08 in the Libraries of both Houses.
	The corporate and business plan contains the key performance targets I have set for the service for 2005–06. They are:
	No escape for top and high-risk prisoners.
	No more than three escapes per 1,000 medium and low risk prisoners.
	The number of staff assaulted by prisoners is less than a ratio of 3 per 100 prisoners.
	The number of prisoners assaulted by prisoners is less than a ratio of 4 per 100 prisoners.
	An average of at least 20 hours constructive activity per week for each sentenced prisoner.
	An average of at least 10 hours constructive activity per week for each remand prisoner.
	To ensure 87 per cent. of prisoners serving six months or more are working to a resettlement plan and that 97 per cent. of lifers work to a resettlement plan, including preparation of the plan, in the first six months from sentence.
	Each member of staff should receive an average of five training days.
	Reduce the rate of absenteeism across the service by 100 per cent.
	Lay the annual report and audited accounts before Parliament prior to the summer recess.
	Ensure the average cost per prisoner place does not exceed £86,290.

PRIME MINISTER

Intelligence and Security Committee Annual Report 2004–05

Tony Blair: I am grateful to the Intelligence and Security Committee for its latest annual report. Following consultation with the Committee over matters that could not be published without prejudicing the discharge of the function and operation of the intelligence and security agencies, I have laid the report before the House today.
	I have also laid the Government's response to this report before the House today. Copies of the report and the response have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Intelligence Personnel (Handling of Detainees)

Tony Blair: I am today laying before the House the Government's response to the Intelligence and Security Committee's report "The Handling of Detainees by UK Intelligence Personnel in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay and Iraq". Copies have also been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Official Histories: Special Operations Executive in Italy

Tony Blair: I have appointed Professor David Stafford, from the Centre for the Second World War Studies at the University of Edinburgh, to write Volume II of the history of Special Operations Executive (SOE) in Italy.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Trade Unions

Gerry Sutcliffe: The certification officer maintains a list of trade unions. I am placing in both Libraries of the House a copy of the list of trade unions as at 31 March 2004, which was presented in the latest annual report of the certification officer.